1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to tubular adapters for the transfer of liquid materials between vessels.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Vessels for the collection of liquid specimens for biochemical analysis are known in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. A widely used collection vessel is of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,255. This type of collection vessel is characterized in part by a narrow diameter, relatively deep body and a narrow, cannula penetrable, closed neck.
Automatic analysis instruments are similarly well known. For example the Coulter S Sr. Auto Counter is an analytical instrument for hematology tests to be performed on blood specimens (Coulter Company). The instrument includes an aspiration nozzle which, when immersed in the liquid specimen aspirates a sample into the instrument for analysis.
The difficulty of the prior art resides in the incompatibility of the specimen collection vessels with the aspiration nozzles. They do not mate and the collected specimen generally must be transferred to a special vessel having a special opening designed to receive the aspiration nozzle. The present invention provides an adapter which permits one to aspirate a sample of the liquid specimen directly from a collection vessel of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,255 into an automatic analytical instrument.